The present invention relates to a multi-unit rail vehicle for local or commuter traffic, with each of the pivotably interconnected car bodies of the vehicle being supported, via rubber springs as secondary shock absorbers, on a driving bogie that is disposed below the center of the car body.
German Offenlegungsschrift No. 35 04 471 Bucholz et al dated Aug. 14, 1986 corresponding to South African Patent No. 86/0909 (in English) and belonging to the assignee of the present invention discloses supporting pivotably connected car bodies of multiunit rail vehicles on a driving bogie that is disposed below the center of the car body. Used as secondary shock absorbers are rubber springs that, via a sufficient return force, are prepared to return the bogie to a straight-ahead position after passing through a curve. Each of the bogies is embodied as a driving bogie. A drawback of this known construction is that the height of the floor of the vehicle is relatively high due to the driving bogie, so that a complicated entry or exit is required in order to enable comfortable boarding and disembarking where the railway platform is at the level of the street.
Proceeding from vehicles of the aforementioned general type, it is an object of the present invention to embody driving bogies and car bodies in such a way that entry and exit can be effected without complicated and inconvenient step constructions, and that the passenger can walk along the entire train at the same level, i.e. without having to negotiate steps or the like.